Display and selling of various materials such as wire, chain and rope carried on reels is well know in the art. It is the most convenient method for handling, displaying and sell such material. The buyer or user simply unwinds his or her desired length of material from the reel and cuts the same.
A problem is maintaining a neat looking display due to overunwinding and in the case of wire, self unwinding. Applicant provides a braking mechanism incorporated into a storage, stocking and stackable cage to overcome this problem.
Another problem is the physically handling of such reels not only due their size and configuration, but to weight.
Applicant solves this problem by providing a reel cage which is placed over a reel while the reel rests on a floor, receives a reel mounting axle while on the floor and which cage is then turned 90.degree. to bring the now mounted reel off the ground into rotative position.
The only time the reel must be lifted is to place the same on a shelf, if desired, or to stack like cages upon each other. Handles and a vertical alignment system are incorporated for such stacking use.
It is therefore an object of applicant's invention to provide a formed reel cage for the mounting of material containing reels which allows for reel placement therein without lifting of the reel.
It is a further object of the applicant's invention to provide a formed reel cage for the mounting of material carrying reels which provides for braked reel rotation to prevent undesired unwinding of the material from the reel.
It is yet a further object of the applicant's invention to provide a formed reel cage for the mounting of material carrying reels which provides a free material end retaining member such that the ultimate end of the material is temporarily stored during non-use of the reel.
It is yet a further object of the applicant's invention to provide a formed reel cage for the mounting of material carrying reels which filled cages are easily stackable and positively connected when stacked.
It is yet a further object of the applicant's invention to provide a formed reel cage for the mounting of material carrying reels and which incorporates a pricing and product informational area.
It is still an object of the invention to provide a reel cage for use in transportable requirements such as cable TV installers who require a quantity of cable for individual installations.